Witness in Asaram Bapu rape case shot dead

Akhil Gupta (35), the main witness in the Surat rape case against controversial godman Asaram Bapu, was shot dead by unidentified persons in Muzaffarnagar district late on Sunday night.

Gupta’s death is a setback to the case against Asaram Bapu. He is the second witness to be killed in the case after Amrut Prajapati, a former Asaram aide, who was also shot dead in June 2014 in Gujarat.

According to the police spokesman, Akhil Gupta was shot at while he was returning home on Sunday night. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead.

Akhil’s cousin Ashish Gupta has lodged an FIR against two unidentified persons. Akhil Gupta had worked as a cook and personal aide of Asaram, who is in jail in connection with another case of sexual assault on a minor girl.

The Gujarat police had recorded Akhil Gupta’s statement in connection with the case in 2013 and he was considered an important witness in the case where he had testified against the godman.

SSP H.N. Singh told reporters on Monday that three police teams, led by SP city Sarvan Kumar, have been formed to apprehend Gupta’s killers. The police is investigating various angles to the murder, including whether the murder was linked to Asaram’s case or not.